Canadian border agency issues new scam warning

The Canada Border Services Agency (CBSA) has issued a new scam warning.

According to the agency, scammers posing as CBSA officials are using emails, websites, text messages and telephone calls to ask for money and personal information such as social insurance numbers.

“The methods and messages used by the scammers are varied and ever-changing, but always designed to demand money and lure the public into providing personal information,” the CBSA warned in a news release. “Telephone calls may display numbers and employee names that falsely appear to be from the CBSA. Emails may contain CBSA logos, email addresses or employee names and titles to mislead the public.”

The CBSA says it would never request a social insurance or credit card number by telephone or email.

“If an individual receives a telephone call or an email asking for this information, or requesting payments from the CBSA, it is a scam,” the CBSA said.

The CBSA is urging Canadians to ignore these types of calls and messages and report them to the Canadian Anti-Fraud Centre.

The CBSA is also warning visitors to Canada about fraudulent websites and apps posing as ArriveCan and the Electronic Travel Authorization (eTA). ArriveCan is a free government platform for travellers to provide information before and after arriving in Canada. With the exception of U.S. passport holders, most visitors require a $7 eTA to enter Canada.  

More information about these types of scams is available on the CBSA’s website and the Canadian Revenue Agency’s “Scams and fraud” page.